American Notes for General Circulation

New York: D. Appleton, 1868. First Edition thus. Pictorial Wrappers. Near Fine+. Scarce printing of "one of the most famous and important examples of travel-writing in the nineteenth century, documenting simultaneously a particular moment in the development of the United States and what was surely a major turning-point in Dickens's career." (Literary Encyclopedia) Crown 8vo (188 x 122mm): 104,[4]pp, text printed in double columns. Publisher's peach pictorial wrappers printed in brown, contemporary ownership signature to upper cover, publisher's advertisement for the works of Louisa Mühlbach printed on deep pink stock and tipped to title page. A tad worn and slightly soiled, occasional light creasing and foxing, but securely bound and generally clean throughout. A collectible copy of this fragile production. This edition not in Gimbel, Eckel, or Smith, but see Howes D-316, Sabin 19996, and Wilkins, pp. 22-24 for other American printings. Dickens sailed from Liverpool on January 3, 1842, and visited numerous cities in North America, including Boston, Philadelphia, Richmond, St. Louis, Montreal, and Quebec, before returning to England from New York City on June 7. American Notes, first published in London, in 1842, is largely based on his letters to John Forster, Daniel Maclise, and others. Notable for its chapter on slavery, which influenced Longfellow's many poems on the topic. "Along with Alexis de Tocqueville's Democracy in America, Dickens's American Notes represents one of the most significant contributions to a trend, during the 1820s, 30s and 40s, for books about the USA by prominent European visitors; these included works by Frances Trollope, Harriet Martineau, Frederick Marryat, James Silk Buckingham and Basil Hall. . . . Dickens made his visit to America precisely to see for himself this new 'laboratory' in which democratic government was being tested. . . . his visit brought home to him the gulf between [his radical] ideals and their realisation, and thus represents a pivotal moment in the development of the darker, more cynical world-view of his later novels." (Literary Encyclopedia) According to Wilkins, the first American edition of American Notes was pirated and published by Wilson & Company, in New York, as a double number of the newspaper "Brother John" late in 1842. An authorized edition was brought out by Harper & Brothers soon after. N. B. With few exceptions (always identified), we only stock books in exceptional condition, carefully preserved in archival, removable mylar sleeves. All orders are packaged with care and posted promptly. Satisfaction guaranteed. (Fine Editions Ltd is a member of the Independent Online Booksellers Association, and we subscribe to its codes of ethics.).